Home 2008 - Washington DC 2010 - Cuba 2011 - DR, Bermuda, & Cruise 2012 - DR & Costa Rica 2013 - Cruise, CR, & USA 2014 - SE Asia The Year Off 2015 - 2016 -  Preamble -  Thailand & Malaysia -  Italy -  Germany, Belgium, & Lux -  Czech, Poland, & Germany -  Austria, Slovakia, & Hungary -  Slovenia, Croatia, Austria & Germany -  England & Scotland -  Turkey -  Colombia -  Peru: Lima & Amazon -  Peru: Cusco & Inca Trail -  Peru: Cusco to Lima -  Mexico, Guatemala, & Belize -  New Zealand -  Australia & Thailand 2017 - The Balkans 2017 - Hungary, Romania, & Switzerland 2018 - New York 2018 - Amsterdam, Poland, & The Baltics 2019 - Costa Rica 2019 - France 2020 - Thailand 2023 - Mexico 2023 - Iceland & Cruise 2024 - Philippines 2025 - Japan 2025 - Iceland Short Trips Lists Links	January 30, 2016 - Saturday Cairns Australia I was dropped off at the Auckland airport, and I flew to Cairns Australia. Staying at a hotel that is more like an apartment building, but it is very short walk to the center of the town. The town is right on the water but you can’t use the beach because of crocodiles. On the walk to the town center in the early evening I walked under some trees and noticed that the tree was full of bats. I guess they roost there and then at night go out. January 31, 2016 - Sunday Cairns Australia I did a day tour with an outfit called “Barefoot Tours”. They took us into the jungle area, including Lake Eacham, Crater Lakes National Park, and Mount Hypipamee National Park. Basically we visited a lake and three different waterfall areas. Went swimming at some of them. One of the waterfalls (Millaa Millaa Falls) was made famous by some shampoo/conditioner company when they filmed women with long hair doing a hair flip thing there. Another of the falls had rocks you could slide down. February 1, 2016 - Monday Cairns Australia The main reason for coming to Cairns was to scuba dive the Great Barrier reef, which I did today. I did three dives and all three were great. Lots of plant life and fishes. February 2, 2016 - Tuesday Cairns Australia Today was a lazy day, I mostly just walked around town and relaxed at my hotel. February 3, 2016 - Wednesday Cairns Australia From Cairns I took the skyrail to Kuranda. There I went to Birdworld, which is basically a zoo for birds. It was very cool. A parrot landed on my shoulder and licked the salt (sweat) from my neck. They have two cassowaries which are huge velociraptor type birds. Then I went to Koala World, which was okay but not the greatest thing ever. I did see some Koala’s though. Took the scenic train back to Cairns. February 4, 2016 - Thursday Bangkok Thailand I had started my year off in Thailand, so I thought I should end it in the same place. Today I flew to Bangkok. February 5, 2016 - Friday Bangkok Thailand Didn’t do much today. A one hour nap turned into five hours, which killed a bit of the day. I must have needed the extra sleep. February 6, 2016 - Saturday Bangkok Thailand Didn’t have much energy today, so didn’t do anything worth writing about. February 7, 2016 - Sunday Koh Tao Thailand Flew to Koh Samui, and got on the ferry to Koh Tao. Worst boat trip of my life. We are all inside the ferry (no outside areas to sit), and the seas were high. I got sea sick for the first time in my life, partly because everyone else on the ferry was puking, which set me off. Was really glad when we got to dry land. February 8, 2016 - Monday Koh Tao Thailand Tried to go scuba diving today. Was unable to equalize my ears. Feb 9, 2016 - Tuesday to Feb 24, 2016 - Wednesday Koh Tao Thailand Saw a doctor, I have a sinus infection. It would eventually spread to my ears. I basically wasted two weeks here waiting for it to clear up so I could go diving again. In hindsight I should have gotten off the island and traveled around somewhere. I did read a lot of books, but otherwise wasted a lot of time. February 25, 2016 - Thursday Koh Samui Thailand Took the Ferry to Koh Samui. February 26, 2016 - Friday Koh Samui Thailand Flew home. I had a job waiting for me which started on Monday. Despite the mediocre end to my year off, this was the best year of my life.
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